The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for treating subterranean formations with treatment fluids comprising a consolidating agent and inorganic clay particulates.
Treatment fluids can be used in a variety of subterranean treatment operations. As used herein, the terms “treat,” “treatment,” “treating,” and grammatical equivalents thereof refer to any subterranean operation that uses a fluid in conjunction with achieving a desired function and/or for a desired purpose. Use of these terms does not imply any particular action by the treatment fluid. Illustrative treatment operations can include, for example, fracturing operations, gravel packing operations, acidizing operations, scale dissolution and removal operations, consolidation operations, and the like.
Proppant is commonly used in conjunction with fracturing operations. A fracturing fluid is pumped at a sufficiently high flow rate and high pressure into the wellbore and into the subterranean formation to create or enhance a fracture in the subterranean formation. Creating a fracture typically involves making a new fracture in the formation. Enhancing a fracture typically involves enlarging a pre-existing fracture in the formation. The newly-created or enhanced fracture may tend to close together after pumping of the fracturing fluid has stopped. To prevent the fracture from closing, a proppant material may be placed in the fracture to keep the fracture propped open. The proppant is typically in the form of solid particles, which are generally suspended in the fracturing fluid, carried down hole, and deposited in the fracture as a proppant pack. The proppant pack props the fracture in an open position while allowing fluid flow through the permeability of the pack.
If the proppant is not held in place after pumping the fracturing fluid, then the proppant particles can flow towards the wellhead during production. This migration of proppant can cause damage to wellbore equipment and potentially a loss of integrity, for example, to the fracture or wellbore. Therefore, it is often desirable to coat the particles with a consolidating agent to form a consolidated pack. The consolidating agent can be included in the fracturing fluid or subsequently introduced into the formation. The consolidating agent should have an affinity for the particles and may bind to the particles. The consolidating agent can be a tacky consolidating agent that acts as a glue to bind the particles of the pack together. The consolidating agent can also be part of a consolidation system that generally comprises a curable resin and a curable agent. The curable agent causes the curable resin to cure and become hard and solid via a chemical reaction. After the resin cures, the particles of the pack are considered to be consolidated.
Furthermore, hydrocarbon wells are often located in subterranean zones that contain unconsolidated particulates that may migrate within the subterranean formation with the oil, gas, water, and/or other fluids produced by the wells. The presence of particulates, such as formation sand, in produced fluids may be disadvantageous or undesirable in that the particulates may abrade pumping and other producing equipment and reduce the fluid production capabilities of the producing zones. Unconsolidated subterranean zones include those that contain loose particulates and those wherein the bonded particulates have insufficient bond strength to withstand the forces produced by the flow of fluids through the zones.
A method used to control particulates in unconsolidated formations involves consolidating unconsolidated subterranean producing zones into hard, permeable masses by applying a resin composition to the unconsolidated particulates. Another method involves placing a tackifying composition to the unconsolidated particulates in an effort to reduce the migration of particulates within the zone. Whereas a resin composition typically produces a hard mass, the use of a tackifying composition typically produces a more malleable consolidated mass.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted, such embodiments do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and no such limitation should be inferred. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this disclosure are examples only, and not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.